Living Better Multiculturally

Canadians today are proudly multicultural. Along with publicly funded health care, multiculturalism has become part of the sticky stuff of Canadian identity. It is relatively new, a stage in our evolution from a binational, bilingual society. An official policy of multiculturalism was first enacted in 1971, followed by the Multiculturalism Act in 1985. The first section of the constitution, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, adopted in 1982, provides in section 27 that the Charter “should be interpreted in a manner consistent with the preservation and enhancement of the multicultural heritage of Canadians.”

Canada is unique among western democracies in its constitutional commitment to multiculturalism. It has also done extraordinarily well in practice. Its large cities reflect an impressive range of diversity among the many cultures that live peacefully with one another. Watching World Cup soccer in Toronto testifies to the city’s­ cultural range...